This edition of the Jazzthink e-zine is a bit late because I was engrossed in writing the International Coach Federation's exam for their Professional Certified Coach credential. It was tough, fair, and enjoyable. It provoked me to consider carefully what I have seen happen for clients through 1200+ hours of professional coaching over the past decade. And it generated another acronym - LIFE!

If you're not willing to explore the possibilities of transforming significant things in your life, don't hire a coach, especially me. If you are, then do.

Partnering with a coach in a series of thought-provoking and creative conversations will inspire you to maximize your personal and professional potential. You will generate the calm, curiosity, and appreciation that will enable you to make a brilliant contribution to the teams that matter most to you one conversation after another. Those teams may be your family, your friends, your colleagues at work, or in the nonprofit or community of faith you serve and support. Whatever the shape of the team, coaching can help you transform the ways you show up in it and for it.

I may be a bit over the top in the words I'm using to describe what's getting in the way of you achieving what you want, but I've found that degrees of these things are present in most coaching engagements.

TransformLethargy into Learning

Sam Keen coined a powerful phrase for what many experience in their daily rounds of roles and responsibilities - "rust out." It's the slow, steady corrosion of your enthusiasm to contribute. It happens without you really noticing it. It manifests itself in frequent irritability, periodic collapses, and a creeping sense of lethargy. The alternative is learning - about your dreams and passions, about your strengths and skills, about your opportunities and possibilities, about your heart and soul. Learning is an engaging initiative that continually inspires and aligns you with what you value most.

Transform Indifferenceinto Invention

Lethargy breeds indifference. You become so worn down that you just don't care anymore. You become so burdened down with what's happening to you that you can't imagine any way out. The alternative is invention- imagining what might be possible, testing out innovative ways of creating a different future, learning what you're capable of and enjoy most, embedding new attitudes and behaviours in your way of being through intention and practice. Invention is a liberating process that generates options and optimism.

Transform Fear into Flourishing

Fear is often the foundational feeling beneath lethargy and indifference. You are ground into lethargy and take refuge in indifference. You fear the consequences of doing anything and let yourself be disempowered. You give your life away to others or the circumstances. You are frozen by fear. The alternative is to flourish - connecting with others, being hopeful in the midst of change, developing self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-care.

Transform Exhaustion into Energy

All of the negatives - lethargy, indifference, and fear- drain us into exhaustion. You lose much of your will to change things. Victimhood becomes your dominant attitude and withdrawal your dominant behavior. Energy is generated when you re-discover hope for a different future. You begin to imagine what might be possible and explore options that energizeand integrate all of your centres of awareness - head, heart, and gut. Positives begin to dominant negatives in your consciousness. Possibilities overwhelm problems and your energy flows in ways that broaden your perspectives and build on your strengths.

Here's one of the best short clips I've run across to illustrate the flow and impact of coaching support:

Click on image to view the video

You might very well be able to do all of this with the help of your current networks of supports. The potential for doing it all lies within you and emerges in companionship with those who believe in you.

Why bother with a coach, then? Because it will help you achieve all of this more quickly and enjoy it more consistently. A good coach, as I said above, will partner with you in a series of thought-provoking and creative conversations that will inspire you to transform your LIFE. Your voice will generate a vibe that creates value in every one of your circles of influence. It really is worth the investment. Get in touch with me if you want to explore coaching further.

Cheers,

Brian

Jazz Quote of the Month

Vancouver-based jazz vocalist, Helen Hansen (www.helenhansen.com), trained as a classical singer in Toronto and Denmark. Here's what she says about her shift to jazz.

"What especially captivates me about [jazz] is how liberating it is to the artist, how much creativity it demands of its performers. ... Like classical music, jazz contains lovely melodic lines, poetic lyrics and complex rhythms; but the score is just the starting point. One may vary instrumentation, alter the melody or the rhythm, and come in early or late. Improvisation is the key element and necessitates performer invention, while always respecting the composer's intent. It's an endlessly appealing challenge."

Jazzthink sessions encourage people to break out of their old habits and step into the "appealing challenge" of being jazz musicians in the conversations that co-create flourishing communities. The best way to achieve this is to know the score you want to play, to compose carefully the basic melody of the conversation they want to have. But as the conversation begins and progresses, be open to shifts in the melody, rhythm, and harmonies that will best serve the purpose. Improvisation and invention are the keys, just like in jazz.

Follow us on Twitter

I've begun to post some of my discoveries and reflections on Twitter.

Cory Weeds' Cellar Jazz Club in May 2012

Vocalist Christie Grace will be at The Cellar on Thursday, May 17, backed by Chris Gestrin on piano, Daryl Jahnke on guitar, James Danderfer on woodwinds, and Joel Fountain on drums. This will be a wonderful evening. And check out the Jazz Festival lineup from June 22 - June 30. Make your reservations early.